SPOTTED HORSE RANCH
LIVESTOCK
Spotted Horse Ranch is a working ranch, and has a wide variety of livestock available for sale. Whether you are looking for freezer meat, or breeding stock, we have what you are looking for. Call the ranch for details 1-740-332-RIDE
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Hereford Cows
Auodad Sheep
We raise pure bred, pasture raised Hereford Cattle. This breed of cattle has roots in England, and made it across the pond in the mid 1800's. They quickly gained popularity with ranchers due to their resilient nature, ability to forage in a wide variety of terrain, and their excellent mothering skills.
We sell our Bulls, Heifers, Calves, and Freezer Beef.
Please call the ranch for more detailed information on purchasing our Herefords. 1-740-332-RIDE
Horned
Hair Sheep
Horned Hair Sheep are first and foremost, meat sheep. Heat and drought tolerant, parasite and hoof-rot resistant, increased lambing percentages an above average milk production and ability to forage and breed year round make them a good choice in raising sheep.
There are many breeds of Horned Hair Sheep, such as Texas Dalls, Black Hawaiians, Barbados and Painted Desert.
Spotted Horse Ranch has impressive sires of our Black Hawaiians, Rocky Mountain Big Horn Cross, Alaskan Dalls and Texas Dalls.
Hair Sheep Leather is highly prized due to it being free of the blemishes caused by wooly sheep, and the leather is soft, strong, and elastic. It is in such high demand, that American leather companies import roughly 100 million hair sheep hides annually! The U.S. Department of Defense alone imports 250,000 hides per annum to poroduce portions of gloves, fighter-pilot helmets, and seat upholstry. American hair sheep producers should be supplying that demand!
For more information on purchasing and of our Hair Horned Sheep, please call the ranch at 1-740-332-RIDE.
Turkeys
Barbary Sheep (also known as Auodad Sheep) were originally native to the Barbary coast in Africa including Morocco, the Western Sahara, Egypt, and Sudan. Some populations have been introduced to North America.
The Barbary Sheep has a long, vertical fringe of hair extending from the throat region to the upper part of the front legs. It also has long back-curved horns.
The horns of males are slightly longer than those of females .Barbary Sheep populations have declined drastically over much of their native range due to hunting for their skins, meat, and sinew.
They graze on a wide variety of grasses, shrubs, flowers, young plants, and leaves, and can easilt adapt to Ohio's native vegetation. Sheep are grazers, chewing their cud. They have a four-chambered stomach that allows them to ruminate
Mating takes place throughout the year, but mostly occurs from September through November. Gestation lasts approximately 154-161 days. A single offspring is typical, although twins are also common.
For more information on purchasing our Auodad Sheep, please call us at 1-740-332-RIDE
Ewes, Lambs
Lambs and ewes will run and play , and we love to watch them play 'king of the mountain'! The sheep love to climb and chase each other. These sheep are generally excellent mothers, and twins are often born. There are times, however, when they need a bit of extra help, and it is a common to see Mike out in the back barn all times of day and night bottle feeding babies.
We use a combination of pasture during the day, and we bring them in at night to protect them from the weather, coyotes, vultures, etc. Our Great Pyranese dogs are the official protectors of the sheep, and Daisy and Mae are very, very good at their jobs! We have two pups, Ben and Jerry that are the future protectors of the sheep. It is inheirent in this breed of dogs to protect their herd at all cost. Photo's of our dogs can be seen on our The Staff page..
Hair Sheep lambs yeild lean, delicate flavored meat, with none of the 'muttony' taste. Unblemished ram lambs, weighing in at 60-90 pounds are the favorite among buyers.
Ewes are available for breeding stock, market or shooters. For more information on purchasing our lambs and ewes, please call the ranch at 1-740-332-RIDE.
Guinea Fowl
We raise both Royal Palm Turkeys and Narragansett Turkeys. Royal Palms are white with sharply contrasting metallic black edging on the feathers. They are active, thrifty excellent foragers and good flyers. Their valuable role on the ranch is insect control, as well as a producer of meat. Young Toms average about 16 pounds, young hens about 10 pounds.
Narragansett color patterns contain black, grey, tan and white. Slightly larger than the Royal Palms, young Toms average about 23 pounds, and hens about 14 pounds. They are traditionally known for their mothering skills, egg production, and excellent meat quality.
Please call the ranch for more information on purchasing our turkeys, 1-740-332-RIDE
Guinea Fowl are rather silly looking little birds, and not many people in the states are familiar with them. They are relentless in their pursuit of grubs, beetles, locusts, spiders and a myriad of other insects around the ranch.
Native to Africa, they are known for traveling in large gregarious flocks. Snakes don't stand a chance when surrounded by a group of Guinea's, nor does the unsuspecting insect, or small rodent. They close ranks, circle their prey, and the tasty treat is quickly consumed.
They are quite amusing to watch, and if the cock is separated from his hen, they will run at each other like long lost lovers! While nesting, the hen's mate will stand guard, creating an enormous ruckus if he feels threatened.
They are often called the "Poor Man's Pheasant", because it tastes very similar to pheasant, but at a much lower cost. If interested, please call the ranch for more information. 1-740-332-RIDE
Fallow Deer
Water
Buffalo
Fallow Deer are native to Western Eurasia, but have become widely popular all over the world. For many years they were prized for its beautiful coat, and a mature male's antlers can measure up to 70 inches in height. Though lighter with white spots in the summer, their coats generally turn darker in the winter months, and the white spots fainter.
For most of the year, males and females remain in single sex groups, and large herds can often be seen in open areas where there is plenty of food.
The breeding season, or 'rut', occurs between October and November. Males hold 'rutting stands' to defend and impress groups of females. Rutting behaviour involves displaying, which includes groaning contests and parallel walks, escalating to physical contests in which the males lock antlers and push each other. Does usually produce one calf, produced in June or July.
Our herd is lively, and watching them at play, especially the young rams vying for the attention of the ewes is very entertaining!
Many children who come to the ranch think we have Santa's miniature reindeer!
For more information on purchasing our Fallow Deer, please call the ranch at 1-740-332-RIDE
Water Buffalo were first domesticated in Inda about 5000 years ago, and in China about 4000 years ago. Their wide splayed hoofed feet keep them from sinking too deeply in the mud and allow them to move freely about the wetlands and swamps. These marshes provide good cover, and rich aquatic plants to forage on, though they prefer to feed in grasslands on herbs and grass.
We have Swamp Buffalo, named Betty, Bill, Blanche, Boo and Blondie. These buffalo prefer to wallow in mudholes they create by using their horns. Their objective is to cover themselvs in thick mud, which makes it rather difficult for biting insects to get skin deep. Our herd has been hard at work creating their mud-wallow, and the pigs sneak in for a quick mud bath when the buffalo aren't looking!
In addition to being used for meat, Water Buffalo milk is used for making high quality mozarella cheese! The high level of solids in their milk makes it ideal for cheese, yogurts and more.
For more information on our Water Buffalo, please call the ranch at 1-740-332-RIDE